AI has affected curiosity to learn from books in the library

For centuries, our libraries have been promoting education and scientific research worldwide, as well as preserving our culture and history. Library resources of books, research papers and magazines provide equal access to information to everyone without any fear or favor. Many literary giants, scientists and scholars of old have benefited from their habit of regularly visiting libraries, along with the ancient treasure trove of books, as well as contemporary books on every subject.
Individuals who do not have the financial means to buy books always depend on public libraries to read new books. In this information technology era, libraries have started converting books and other resources into digital databases. In many developed countries, libraries have also proven to be one of the best community hub places where people come together to connect for community events, workshops and programs. To promote better civic participation and social cooperation, libraries play a very important role in such meetings. Despite this, developing countries have not yet adequately leveraged library institutions to uplift the development of society.
We may have a large number of public libraries, but sadly, in India, we are many times behind international standards in our library functioning. They are not reader-friendly. The indifference of governments and universities towards libraries has brutally reduced the usefulness of library resources for study and intellectual research in our country. No serious efforts have been made to save these crumbling institutions of learning through books.
It is not only our students but also teachers who have become victims of the onslaught of unauthentic and undocumented information available on the internet in every field. Artificial Intelligence has severely affected our curiosity to learn from books in the library. In our libraries we find many books, journals, research papers, reference books on the same subject at the same place and time. The common readers and researchers are unaware of the real information on the internet that in a library they can get diverse information on a single subject of study.
Both our teachers and students have lost their original thinking which is very important for the development of our young minds for a mature society. TV and unbridled biased social media have stolen our peace which we used to get from reading a hard copy newspaper or book in hand in the library. Here, even though we talk about Making India Great Again, we rarely realize the rapid demise of our libraries and the culture of reading in India. We need an immediate surgical intervention to streamline our library system and to encourage the culture of reading once again.
Even the shelves holding books in schools and colleges remain closed. Be it university campuses, colleges and schools or municipal or panchayat libraries, all have valuable books. Libraries receive central and state funds. Unfortunately, the utilization of library resources is very low. Books always crave for interaction with reading souls. Let us awaken them. Some suggested interventions below can help save our libraries and the culture of reading:
First, many libraries do not have regular trained librarians. The number of library staff in schools and colleges is also very low. Their salaries are very low and rarely are there librarians who make any positive interventions to encourage reading especially among our youth. Library science should also be an optional subject in all colleges so that we can create a trained workforce base for libraries.
Secondly, the opening and closing times of libraries are as per the bureaucratic guidelines for opening offices till now. Municipal libraries open at 9 am and close between 4 and 5 pm. Libraries are closed on weekends, Sundays and other holidays. Reading room newspaper facility is also not provided on weekends and holidays. Generally, our school and college libraries also follow the same pattern. There may be very few exceptions of some libraries in university campuses being open, but this approach is inadequate. Public libraries are completely disappointing the readers. Libraries should be open for more hours and more days in a week.
Thirdly, now public and municipal libraries and limited extension libraries of universities have increased the collection of book security fees in libraries. Along with this, heavy charges are also levied from members in the form of annual fees on which 18% GST is also being levied. Now, it seems that governments want to earn from reading books as well. Our libraries also charge for internet facility.
Fourth, most public libraries have inadequate seating. The infrastructure of proper reading tables and chairs, adequate lighting, washrooms, internet resources is very poor. These treasures of knowledge in the form of reference and rare books and treatises are kept out of reach. Old books are never sorted or sold to the public.
Fifth, no efforts are made to digitize book cataloging. Digital catalogs help users search for books by title, author, subject or key words, making it easy to find books of interest. Digital catalogs are accessible anytime and anywhere. Many Indian public and university libraries have not yet given any emphasis on digitizing rare manuscripts and books to preserve them forever. Readers in Western developed countries can browse, search and even reserve books with just a few clicks.
Sixth, disabled library users are a completely neglected group. Our libraries do not have any special space and reading facilities for them. Most Indian libraries do not even have Braille books.
Seventh, India has not yet thought of opening special libraries for children or reserving such space in existing public libraries. There is no separate space for senior citizens and silence zones. Such insensitivity is disappointing. There should be library committees in public libraries. Separate financial budget should be allocated for public libraries.
Let us learn some lessons from our learned friends in libraries in India. Our Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore donated a large part of his Nobel Prize money to establish libraries in the rural areas of Calcutta and was also elected the first President of the All-Bengal Library Association in 1925. One of the pioneers of the library movement was Dr. S.R. Ranganathan whose concepts of library science were given practical form by Tagore in village libraries. Both played important roles in the development of the library movement in India. Ranganathan, often called the “Father of Library Science in India”, is known for his Five Principles of Library Science, which provide a philosophical foundation for library practices.
Libraries and books can be saviors in a world full of social, political, economic and war issues. The solutions to human concerns are in our books because they contain centuries of wisdom. However, they are locked away in our shelves. The decline in the status of our libraries must stop. Let us save our society from continuous decline by awakening the books sleeping in our libraries.
Vijay Garg Retired Principal Educational Columnist Street kour Chand MHR Malout Punjab